Leon stood beside your bed, his eyes fixed on every detail of yours. He studied your face with an intensity that seemed to suggest a deeper curiosity, his fingers tracing over your soft cheek.

His fingers trembled against your skin, a reminder of his own mortality, and he fought against the urge to draw closer, not wanting to risk harming one so fragile. It was a struggle to resist the attraction he felt, to deny the desire to protect and care for you.